GoKawiil
Tech News
Google announced new subscription billing tools for Google Play, including usage-based billing that lets apps like AI services charge from a prepaid balance that auto-tops-up. It's also adding multi-quantity subscriptions for organizations, mixed one-time/subscription checkouts, and cross-developer subscription bundles, alongside tests of smarter grace periods, cancellation discounts, and winback offers.
A developer working with a batch of old Android 6.0.1 devices describes turning to lightweight, de-googled software after finding the experience surprisingly enjoyable. When attempting to publish a text editor called Tabby on the Play Store, the app was rejected and Google attached a screenshot from an unrelated app containing explicit content as justification; an appeal was denied without explanation. The developer suspects the issue may stem from Google's automatic listing translations linking to a dubious site, and plans to distribute apps via F-Droid and itch.io instead.
Kvaesitso is an open-source, search-first Android launcher that is distributed only through GitHub and F-Droid rather than the Play Store. Installing it requires downloading an APK from the project's GitHub releases page and enabling installation from unknown sources, and on some Samsung Galaxy phones users must also disable the Auto Blocker security feature.
F-Droid, the open-source Android app repository, released version 2.0 with automatic update installation and a unified installer that leverages a new pre-approval API enabled by EU Digital Markets Act rulings against Google. The release comes as F-Droid displays a banner warning users about Google's upcoming developer verification requirements, which could restrict distribution of unverified apps on Android devices.
Google has published a Play Store listing for its Create My Widget app, first teased at I/O 2026, showing how it will work on Android phones and Googlebook laptops. The app lets users generate custom widgets using natural-language prompts processed by Gemini, with preset categories like combo widgets, weather alerts and daily briefs as starting points.
F-Droid, the open source Android app repository, has released its first major client update in a decade. Version 2.0 was rewritten in Kotlin Compose with a cleaner interface, expanded app categories, and description-based search across its thousands of listed apps.
Teardown of Google Play Store version 53.2.23-34 reveals an in-progress 'Your creations' section under the app's 'Manage apps & device' screen, intended to surface apps users build with Google's AI Studio vibe-coding tool. Currently, tapping the feature's 'Try it now' button opens a browser to the mobile AI Studio site rather than a native experience.
Ahead of the October 4 launch of Google's new Googlebook laptops, Android Authority managed to install and run the platform's first-party Text editor app on an Android phone and tablet. The app supports extensive syntax highlighting for languages including Python, JavaScript, Kotlin, Java, C++, Rust and Go, plus a find-and-replace tool, and adapts its layout to make better use of larger tablet screens.
Adobe has released its Premiere video-editing app for Android devices, roughly a year after it debuted on iOS. The free app includes a multitrack timeline, templates, transitions, and generative AI tools powered by Adobe's Firefly models, with some AI features requiring a subscription once free credits run out.
Adobe released its Premiere mobile video editing app on the Google Play Store, extending a tool that debuted on iOS last year. The free app supports a range of Android phones, including foldables like the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 8, allowing editing in both open and closed configurations.
Google introduced Googlebooks, a new laptop platform built on Android rather than ChromeOS, though it looks and functions similarly with the same app dock, Chrome browser and Play Store access. The system retains Chromebook staples like the Titan security chip and built-in malware protection, but adds deeper phone-to-laptop integration, including instant login syncing and app handoff features like 'continue on,' demonstrated with the music app BandLab.
Google has released its first Googlebooks, premium laptops running Googlebook OS, a new platform merging Android, Gemini AI, and ChromeOS's desktop and security features. Five models are available for pre-order now, arriving in stores October 4-5 across the US, Canada, UK, and other markets, with prices starting at $899.